Flagging in the Park -- July 25, 2026

Come enjoy the sun, music, flora, and friends in the beautiful National AIDS Memorial Grove. This event is open to all flow artists – fanning, flagging, poi, staff, hoopers, and their supporters. Flags are available for use or just relax and take in the fun dance music and colorful visuals. Bring a beverage, a lunch, something (non-plastic/grass-friendly) to sit on, and enjoy!
Music By: Michele Miruski
DJ Michele Miruski has been a fixture of the house music scene since 1988, when she began her career in Washington, D.C. Raised in a musical family and classically trained on piano, Michele developed a lifelong love of music that led her to become a resident DJ at many of the capital's most iconic venues, including Tracks, Velvet Nation, Badlands, and Frat House. Her career has taken her to dance floors across the country, from New York and South Beach to Chicago, Dallas, and beyond.
In addition to being named Best DJ in DC in the Washington Blade's inaugural Best of DC awards, Michele spent 17 years as a Billboard reporting DJ, helping shape the magazine's Hot Dance Club chart. She has performed at the Capital House Music Festival and returned to Washington to play the prestigious Mid-Atlantic Leather Closing Party in 2018, further cementing her connection to the community and the music that has defined her career.
You can learn more about Michele at https://www.michelemiruski.com
About Our Beneficiary: The National AIDS Memorial
By sharing the story of the struggle against HIV/AIDS, we remember, in perpetuity, the lives lost, we offer healing and hope to survivors, and we inspire new generations of activists in the fight against stigma, denial, and hate for a just future.
The origins of the National AIDS Memorial began nearly 30 years ago at the height of the AIDS pandemic when a small group of San Franciscans devastated by the AIDS crisis sought to find a sacred space to honor loved ones who were lost to AIDS. Known simply as “the Grove”, that place was created in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park as a dedicated space in the national landscape where millions of Americans touched directly or indirectly by AIDS could gather to heal, hope, and remember.As the AIDS pandemic grew, with hundreds of thousands of lives being lost to a disease that showed no mercy or discrimination, the nation too needed to heal and to ensure that those lives were never forgotten. In 1996, legislation by U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, elevating “the Grove” as the nation's sole federally-designated National AIDS Memorial.
In the years that have followed, the work of the National AIDS Memorial has expanded to ensure that the lives of people who died from AIDS are never forgotten and the story of AIDS is known by future generations so that never again will a community be harmed because of fear, silence, discrimination, or stigma. Today, the history and lessons of AIDS are at the core of all of the programs and work of the National AIDS Memorial. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is now under the stewardship of the National AIDS Memorial, ensuring that this powerful symbol of AIDS and activism can be used to educate people around the world about a devasting time in our nation’s history. Within each of the Quilt’s nearly 50,000 panels are sewn the names of more than 105,000 lives lost to AIDS. Each year, thousands of panels of the Quilt are displayed throughout the U.S. and world.
Through unique storytelling programs, like Surviving Voices and Q&AIDS, the National AIDS Memorial both ensures that the vast, diverse stories of surviving voices from the crisis years are captured and curated and documents how people from different generations have experienced and been affected by HIV/AIDS, encouraging communication between them. “Today, the history and lessons of AIDS are at the core of all of the programs and work of the National AIDS Memorial.”
Learn more about The National AIDS Memorial: https://www.aidsmemorial.org
Where to Go: National AIDS Memorial Grove
Taking public transportation is encouraged since finding a place for your car can be challenging. Never been there? We suggest you pair up with someone who has. If you drive, go early for better parking.
What to Expect
The AIDS Memorial Grove is a gorgeously secluded meadow near the East end of Golden Gate Park. Often the fog is licking at the sky above - especially in the summer, bring sunscreen and a wrap. Bring something to sit on; pack a lunch or bring snacks and beverages; flags are available for use; usually a few furry friends roaming. There are little or no services nearby but port-a-potties will be available. Our DJ spins vocal fun-filled dance music, and flow artists eagerly enjoy and share their art with newcomers. There is no pressure to participate -- come relax and take in the color and beauty of our tribe.
2026 Partners
Flagging In The Park is a program of Grass Roots Gay Rights Foundation (GRGRF), which continues to support us with a $2,000 matching grant for each of the beneficiaries of our 2026 events. As always, it takes a village to make this happen! FITP would not be possible without the support of our incredible partners: the National AIDS Memorial, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Flagger Central, The Lookout, Ryan Clouse (graphics), our generous donors— who ensure every dollar collected in the Grove goes to our beneficiaries—and the many volunteers who bring it all together. Be sure to show them some love and let them know you appreciate their support!
2026 Production Team
Amy Lam, Fiona Davidson Fraser, Jack Whiteford, Jeff Kennedy, Liam Ocean, Markus Thorndike, Michael Rackley, Tom Steele, William Barros, Xavier Caylor and Zach Warner